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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Sunday / December 22.
  • Jamari Traylor, a 6-foot-7 power forward from IMG Academies, will take an official to Oklahoma State Thursday-Saturday, according to IMG coach Andy Borman.

    Traylor will also visit Kansas, though no date has been set.

    He has also visited Indiana.

    St. John’s, Memphis and Mississippi State are also in the mix.

    “He has a tremendous upside,” Borman said. “Jamari has only been

    Nets guard Deron Williams underwent successful wrist surgery today at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, Nets General Manager Billy King announced.

    The surgery, performed by hand specialist Dr. Andrew Weiland and Nets team orthopedic Dr. Riley Williams III, involved the removal of loose bodies (three bony fragments) and scar tissue from William’s right wrist.

    “The bony fragments and scar tissue taken from Deron’s wrist today were interfering with this ability to flex his wrist,” said Dr. Williams. “We expect a full recovery and a return to basketball-related activities in approximately 6-8 weeks.”

    Stan Simpson, a 6-foot-10, 230-pound power forward from John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill., has committed to Memphis over Kentucky, UConn and Kansas.

    “Yep, I’m signing Wednesday,” Simpson, who will have two years of eligibility remaining, said Sunday by phone.

    After visiting this weekend, Simpson said he liked “Coach [Josh] Pastner, the coaches and the atmosphere at Tiger Nation. They treated me like a brother down there.”

    Louisville assistant Steve Masiello has agreed to a five-year deal to become the next head coach at Manhattan College, a source with direct knowledge told SNY.tv Sunday.

    “It’s done,” said another candidate who was in the mix.

    Masiello was a former Manhattan assistant under Bobby Gonzalez from 2001-5 before joining Rick Pitino’s staff at Louisville, where he has successfully recruited the New York area and helped Louisville become a perennial Big East and national contender.

    “Steve is from Westchester,” New York Panthers director Gary Charles told SNY.tv before the news broke. “When he was at Louisville, he recruited Edgar Sosa, Samardo Samuels, Earl Clark and Francisco Garcia. Everyone in New York knows Steve Masiello.”

    Dave Rice is the new head coach at UNLV, according to multiple reports.

    He will be introduced at press conference at 4 p.m. on Monday in the Mack Board Room, according to Ryan Greene of the Las Vegas Sun.

    The BYU associate head coach for the past three seasons under Dave Rose, Rice was a reserve under Jerry Tarkanian on the 1990 national championship team and 1991 Final Four team. He then spent 11 years as an assistant at UNLV before Lon Kruger arrived in 2004.

    Two future Duke players and a pair of Kentucky signees showed a glimpse of the talents they will bring to their future schools at the Nike Hoop Summit.

    During a 92-80 win over the World Select Team Saturday night at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore., the USA was led by 20 points from Duke-bound guard Austin Rivers.

    The USA also received a double-double of 16 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots from 6-9 Kentucky commit Anthony Davis; 16 points, five rebounds and five blocks

    With Kemba Walker all but certain to head to the NBA, could the UConn Huskies lose star freshman Jeremy Lamb, too?

    His father says there’s a chance.

    “It’s one of those situations where we really don’t know,” Rolando Lamb, a former college player at Virginia Commonwealth, told SNY.tv by phone Saturday evening. “Just gathering information right now. That’s where we’re at. We’re just gathering information.”

    Asked if experts had told him that Jeremy could get drafted, Rolando said, “Yeah, oh yeah.”

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